After the undoubted success of the first ever ‘Songcraft’ event held in March 2005, the Northern Ireland Music Industry Commission is delighted to announce ‘Songcraft 2006’ the Songwriter’s Creative Weekend in association with The British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.

‘Songcraft 2006’ will take place on the weekend of Friday 10th, Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th March 2006 and will provide a unique opportunity for 24 Northern Ireland songwriters to take part in co writing workshops, interspersed with interviews and informative and inspirational masterclasses featuring key internationally successful writers.

Commencing on Friday evening, much of the weekend will be spent in practical co-writing sessions, with advice and guidance being offered from Graham Gouldman, Dominic King and Chris Bradford and also by our own Novello Award winning Iain Archer (solo artist and co-writer of Snow Patrol’s smash hit ‘Run’).

Dominic King is a multi-million selling songwriter, a key contributor to BBC Radio 2’s Sold on Song, and a judge of the prestigious Ivor Novello Awards. Dominic’s work has sold over 30 million records!

Graham Gouldman is one of the most successful and respected songwriters Britain has ever produced, and the songwriting genius at the centre of 10cc – ‘Rubber Bullets’, ‘I'm Not In Love’, ‘Dreadlock Holiday’ etc. Graham also wrote countless hits for a wealth of artists in the sixties including The Yardbirds (For your love / Heart full of Soul) and the Hollies (Look through any Window, Bus Stop)

Chris Bradford is a professional songwriter, author and music degree lecturer at the Academy of Contemporary Music (Guildford). Chris is an Executive Committee Member of the British Academy of Composers & Songwriters and is the author of the critically acclaimed book, ‘Heart & Soul: Revealing the Craft of Songwriting’.

Ross Graham, NIMIC Chief Executive believes; “The art and craft of songwriting is at the very core of both artistic and music industry development. The writing process is the creative foundation upon which recording and live performance is built. It is also the foundation of the creation of copyright - the heart of the music industry. This is a wonderful opportunity for our songwriters to network and develop their skills”

The cost of this weekend is £75 for NIMIC members / £50 unemployed NIMIC members or £125 for non-NIMIC members / £100 unemployed non-NIMIC members. Please note this substantially subsidised cost includes all tuition as well as accommodation and meals throughout the weekend.

LIMITED SPACES – CONTACT US NOW!
Please note there is LIMITED availability (24 places), some of which have been reserved for professional songwriters. Therefore it is important to respond as soon as possible in order to be considered for a place.

If you would be interested in taking part in Songcraft, please contact Sandra at the NIMIC office by email to: sandra@nimusic.com and enclose a brief overview of your experience as a songwriter.

‘Songcraft’ is supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure (DCAL).
NIMIC gratefully acknowledges the support of Belfast City Council, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland and the PRS Foundation.

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